GARBANZO BEANS IN A VELVETY SPINACH GRAVY/CHOLEY PALAK - LET'S GO GREEN

In India Garbanzo Beans/ Kabuli Chana or Choley is often associated with peppery, hot and picante flavours. With puffed deep fried breads or bhature they are most often paired and can be lapped up in a single go. In the northern part of India especially in the state of Punjab Choley is a staple and an everyday fare.

While deciding which dishes would be a part of my Go Green Mission I was very tempted to include a dish which had a creamy spinach gravy. Normally the use of cottage cheese or corn kernels in a spinach gravy is rampantly cooked and dished out in homes and restaurants alike. So I decided to choose a little less cooked but supremely yum garbanzo beans / Choley in a very thick and silky textured spinach gravy. This gravy does not contain a drop of cream or butter but when having it with piping hot flat breads you will miss neither.

It's been so much fun so far to introduce little D to the world of greens through a green coloured dish at the dinning table and a little story to make it all the more exciting for her. There has been Popeye the Spinach Oops sailor man who offcourse could get those power punches on Brutus because he ate his spinach with a smile, Rapunzel whose long overflowing tresses was because she never complained but ate her Broccoli happily and off course there has been Elsa and Anna from the movie Frozen who could get back their Kingdom because they loved to eat their greens. Well it maynot make sense to most of us but these stories have worked their way well with little D who now eats her Broccoli without a fuss because she is waiting for her tresses to grow and become like Rapunzel. I sincerely hope that when she grows up she will fondly look back to these stories which I am sure she will laugh at then but she will still love to eat everything healthy and green and cherish the bounties that nature has blessed all of us with.

A portion of green on our plate everyday is definately our secret to a healthy life. A doctor friend of mine once told me that most of the diseases, maybe all have their roots or start as a result of our eating habits. Keep the gut healthy if you want to ward of any maladies from entering your system. Eat locally sourced, fresh food as much as possible. I do not have any documents to back these claims but I speak from self experience and have tried and seen tested results if eating more green amongst my family, friends and acquaintances.

But friends along with eating your greens you will have to smile double the amount of greens you eat in order to remain "fit as a fiddle" and I vouch for this statement with all my heart.

Today's recipe has the protein rich garbanzo beans in a spinach gravy which you have to cook with a little patience and lots of love. There are a few steps in getting that lush bright green colour of the gravy and trust me its worth going through all the steps which I have put down below without omitting to get the creamiest and velvety gravy ever.

So let's get cooking

CHOLEY PALAK / GARBANZO BEANS IN A VELVETY SPINACH GRAVY RECIPE :

SERVES : 4

CUISINE : INDIAN

TYPE : MAIN COURSE

TIME : 20 minutes for PREPARATION + 25 minutes for COOKING

INGREDIENTS :

1) 2 Cups of Garbanzo Beans/Kabuli Chana (appriximately 250 gms )

2) 1 bunch of Spinach Leaves/Palak This would be appriximately 500 gms with leaves and stem. I use both but if you are particular about using only the leaves then go for two bunches of Spinach to get you a yield of 500 Gms leaves only.

3) 1 large sized Potato/Alu chopped into long slices

4) 4 medium sized ripe Red Tomatoes roughly chopped

5) 1large Red Onion roughly chopped

6) 1 Tbsp Ginger Garlic paste

7) 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder

8) 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder

9) 2 Tbsp of Choley Masala ( available at all Indian stores or check out my post on how to make  CHOLEY MASALA at home )

10) 3 Tsp grated fresh Coconut

11) 1 Tsp Oil

12) Salt to taste

GET COOKING WITH ME IN EASY STEPS :

STEP 1:

Wash the Garbanzo beans in a colander throughly and soak them overnight. Wash the spinach leaves throughly taking care specially if you decide to use the stems as well, dry and keep aside. Wash, Peal and chop the Potato into long slices not too thick. Chop the Tomatoes and Onions Roughly. Assemble all the Ingredients together.

STEP 2:

Pressure Cook the Garbanzo beans using enough water to cover them after adding salt and turmeric. Cook till they are so soft that they smash easily between your thumb and first finger. Keep aside retaining the water in which the Garbanzo beans have been cooked.

STEP 3: 
In a wok or pan take 1/2 tsp of oil and add the onions and spinach. Cook till all the water is absorbed and the onions become transparent. Don't cook covered to retain the lovely green colour of the spinach. Cool. In a food processor add the sautéed onion, spinach and coconut and whizz into a smooth paste. Keep aside.

STEP 4: 

Again take the wok or pan add 1/2 Tsp of oil, add in the chopped tomatoes and ginger garlic paste. Cook till the tomatoes soften a bit and the ginger garlic paste becomes fragrant.Remove from the flame. Cool. In a processor blend to a smooth paste. Keep aside.

STEP 5: 

In a wok or pan add the remaining oil. To the warm oil add the sliced potatoes, turmeric and sauté for a couple of minutes. Now add in the paste of tomatoes and ginger garlic to the potatoes, coat well, add about 2 tbsp of water, low the heat, cover and Cook till the potatoes are soft. This takes about 3-4 minutes as the potatoes are sliced not very thick. Once cooked, add the chilli powder and Choley masala and mix well and cook for a couple of more minutes.

STEP 6: 

Now add in the soft cooked garbanzo beans along with the water in which it was cooked. Mix well.

STEP 7: 

Finally add the spinach, coconut and onion paste, mix well. Taste for seasoning and add salt if required. Add water depending on the consistency of the gravy you would like. Simmer for a couple of minutes to allow everything in the wok or pan to blend together well. Do not cover. Now your Garbanzo Beans in velvety Spinach Curry is ready to serve.

Serve hot with bread of your choice.

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GARBANZO BEANS IN A VELVETY SPINACH GRAVY / CHOLEY PALAK RECIPE :

INGREDIENTS :

1) 2 Cups of Garbanzo Beans/Kabuli Chana (appriximately 250 gms )

2) 1 bunch of Spinach Leaves/Palak This would be appriximately 500 gms with leaves and stem. I use both but if you are particular about using only the leaves then go for two bunches of Spinach to get you a yield of 500 Gms leaves only.

3) 1 large sized Potato/Alu

4) 4 medium sized ripe Red Tomatoes roughly chopped

5) 1large Red Onion roughly chopped

6) 1 Tbsp Ginger Garlic paste

7) 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder

8) 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder

9) 2 Tbsp of Choley Masala ( available at all Indian stores or check out my post on how to make  CHOLEY MASALA at home )

10) 3 Tsp grated fresh Coconut

11) 1 Tsp Oil

12) Salt to taste

GET COOKING WITH ME IN EASY STEPS :

STEP 1:

Wash the Garbanzo beans in a colander throughly and soak them overnight. Wash the spinach leaves throughly taking care specially if you decide to use the stems as well, dry and keep aside. Wash, Peal and chop the Potato into long slices not too thick. Chop the Tomatoes and Onions Roughly. Assemble all the Ingredients together.

STEP 2: 

Pressure Cook the Garbanzo beans using enough water to cover them after adding salt and turmeric. Cook till they are so soft that they smash easily between your thumb and first finger. Keep aside retaining the water in which the Garbanzo beans have been cooked.

STEP 3: 

In a wok or pan take 1/2 tsp of oil and add the onions and spinach. Cook till all the water is absorbed and the onions become transparent. Don't cook covered to retain the lovely green colour of the spinach. Cool. In a food processor add the sautéed onion, spinach and coconut and whizz into a smooth paste. Keep aside.

STEP 4: 

Again take the wok or pan add 1/2 Tsp of oil, add in the chopped tomatoes and ginger garlic paste. Cook till the tomatoes soften a bit and the ginger garlic paste becomes fragrant.Remove from the flame. Cool. In a processor blend to a smooth paste. Keep aside.

STEP 5: 

In a wok or pan add the remaining oil. To the warm oil add the sliced potatoes, turmeric and sauté for a couple of minutes. Now add in the paste of tomatoes and ginger garlic to the potatoes, coat well, add about 2 tbsp of water, low the heat, cover and Cook till the potatoes are soft. This takes about 3-4 minutes as the potatoes are sliced not very thick. Once cooked, add the chilli powder and Choley masala and mix well and cook for a couple of more minutes.

STEP 6: 

Now add in the soft cooked garbanzo beans along with the water in which it was cooked. Mix well.

STEP 7: 

Finally add the spinach, coconut and onion paste, mix well. Taste for seasoning and add salt if required. Add water depending on the consistency of the gravy you would like. Simmer for a couple of minutes to allow everything in the wok or pan to blend together well. Do not cover. Now your Garbanzo Beans in velvety Spinach Curry is ready to serve.

Serve hot with bread of your choice.

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NOTE : 

*Do not cover the spinach and cook at any point of time to retain its bright green colour.

CHECK LIST :

1) Garbanzo Beans/Kabuli Chana, 2) Spinach/Palak, 3) Potato, 4) Tomato, 5) Onions, 6) Ginger Garlic Paste, 7) turmeric Powder, 8) Red Chilli Powder, 9) Choley Masala , 10) Fresh Coconut, 11) Oil, 12) Salt